3 killed, over 28,000 affected as cyclone Fytia hits Madagascar

ANTANANARIVO -- The passage of tropical cyclone Fytia has left three people dead and more than 28,000 affected in Madagascar, according to a latest report released by the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) on Sunday.

The cyclone also caused five injuries, with more than 800 houses completely destroyed and over 6,000 houses flooded, the BNGRC said.

The hardest-hit areas include Soalala, Marovoay and Mahajanga, cities located in the northwest of the country, as well as the capital, Antananarivo.

Fytia made landfall on Saturday morning in the western part of the country, affecting 19 districts, before moving back out to sea on Sunday via Vatomandry, a city on the eastern coast.

Meteorological services forecast continued rainy weather in the northern and central-western regions of Madagascar over the coming days.